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Certified Dietary Manager ToolKit: Your Future Awaits You – 5/30/2014

Recipe For A Fulfilling Career

As you consider a career in nutrition and foodservice, think about your future from many angles. There is a
simple recipe for a fulfilling career: There must be a good match between your talents and the things you enjoy
with the types of duties you will perform.

Name three things that you have enjoyed most in your life:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________

Name three personal accomplishments that you are most proud of:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________

Name three areas where you feel you have been most useful to others:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________

Look over the list above. Name three of your skills:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________

Next, name three of your main interests:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________

Now, underline all of the items you’ve written that match a career in foodservice management. These may include
enjoyment, success, and skills in areas such as producing a great meal, making others feel comfortable, motivating
and teaching others, leading groups of people, solving problems, organizing the elements of a task, listening and
communicating well, and working hard to see tangible results. It may involve talents such as strong interpersonal
skills, culinary expertise, ability to meet deadlines, and creative thinking. See if your lists include an interest in health,
nutrition, and food, too.

By now, you probably have an idea whether there is a match! A great career places you in the kind of job you can
work hard at, feel good about, and find satisfying day after day... the kind of job that makes you look forward to
going to work!

Exploring First-Hand

Another way to learn more about a career as a Certified Dietary Manager is to network with others. Talk with
friends or acquaintances who have jobs in dietary management or related fields. See if you can visit them at
work, or even “shadow” someone for a day to get the flavor of a job and its routines. Ask them what their jobs
are like, and what their routines are at work. Ask what is most challenging and most fulfilling about the work.
Ask what skills and talents they feel make them successful.

There are many ways to make contact. You can check with a local college where an ANFP Training Program
is offered. Or, take a part-time job in a foodservice setting. Perhaps you would like to volunteer in a hospital,
nursing home, or Meals-on-Wheels program. Any of these can give you more exposure to the types of
organizations where foodservice managers may work. If you don’t know anyone in these fields, you can also
make contact with your state chapter of Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals. (Check the
ANFP website for information: www.ANFPonline.org click State-by-State Info.)

Roadmap To Certification

Have you decided a career in foodservice management is for you? The next step is to prepare to become a
Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional (CDM, CFPP). More than a feather in your
cap, this credential is recognized across the nation as proof of your competency in the skill-set required of
nutrition and foodservice professionals. It is your ticket to career opportunities.

Step 1: Qualify for the Certification Exam
To become certified, you will first want to complete one of the pathways to qualify for taking the certification
exam. Take a look at the list below, and decide which one is for you.

Step 2: Register for the Certification Exam
Offered year-round, the exam gives you a chance to prove your competency in the marketplace by earning
the CDM, CFPP credential. You can check upcoming exam dates, review detailed instructions, and download
the Exam Candidate Handbook and Application on the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals
website, www.ANFPonline.org. Or call ANFP at 800.323.1908.

Step 3: Pass the exam and complete your certification process.
Once you have passed the exam, you can apply for certified status. Certification will be automatic if you are
already a current Professional or Allied-Professional member of the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice
Professionals. However membership in ANFP is not required. If you have not already joined the Association
of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals, you will receive an invitation to join and enjoy the many member
benefits the association offers to you as a professional.

Pathway I: This pathway is for candidates who have graduated from an ANFP-approved foodservice manager program.

Pathway II: This pathway is for candidates who hold a two-year or four-year college degree in foodservice management or nutrition, two-year culinary arts degree, or two-year hotel-restaurant management degree.

Pathway III: This pathway is for graduates of a stateapproved or other approved 90-hour foodservice course, who also have two years of institutional foodservice management experience.

Pathway IV: This pathway is for current and former members of the U.S. military who have graduated from an approved military dietary manager training program and have attained the grade of E-5.

If you haven’t checked any of the four pathways, you may wish to enroll in a Training Program, so that you can prepare through Pathway I. For a complete directory of programs—with options for in-class, online, and correspondence—visit www.ANFPonline.org/schools.

Note that some scholarships are available. Visit www.cdmcareer.info, and click Training Programs for current opportunities.

Not sure about whether you qualify or what your next step should be? Please call Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals at 800.323.1908. The Professional Development Services Department will help you evaluate whether you qualify, and what you need to do next to achieve certification.

After Certification, Then What?

Earning your CDM, CFPP credential is a great way to launch your career. But now what? You will need to
maintain your credential, and one of the requirements is ongoing continuing education (45 hours every three
years, including five hours in food safety and sanitation). The mark of a dedicated professional is continuous
growth and learning. Throughout your career, you will discover new trends in the industry, new challenges, and
new techniques for getting the job done well. Continuing education keeps you ahead of the curve!

CDM, CFPP Career Checklist

Review the Recipe for a Fulfilling Career (page 1 of the ToolKit).

Talk to Certified Dietary Managers about the career.

Get work experience in the field (optional).

Review the four ways to qualify for the Certification Exam. Talk with ANFP Professional Development Services
Department if unsure.

If you have not already fulfilled a pathway to qualify for the exam, choose an ANFP Training Program convenient for
you and enroll.

Consider membership in ANFP. Join online at www.ANFPonline.org, or call ANFP Professional Development Services
Department for an application.

Check scholarship opportunities.

Complete all required coursework.

Obtain the Exam Candidate Handbook and Application online or from ANFP.

Complete required application and return to ANFP.

Check the Study Tools and Exam Content for study materials to help you prepare for the exam.
Make a study schedule and stick to it.

If you have joined ANFP, log in to the Member Community for support from other members during your exam
preparation.

Nearly all CDM, CFPPs choose to join the professional association representing dietary managers: Association
of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP). As the national professional organization representing
dietary managers, ANFP is here to serve you in your career path! Even before you achieve your certification,
we invite you to join ANFP. You will be teaming up with more than 15,000 professionals dedicated to providing
optimum nutritional care through foodservice management.

What does ANFP deliver for you? Enjoy networking with like-minded professionals, a free subscription to
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge magazine (one of the most respected publications in the industry), discounts
on ANFP publications (even the exam study guide!), access to the Member Community and Web-based
employment services on the ANFP website, connections with your local chapter, and many more benefits. You
will be invited to ANFP meetings both close to home and around the country. Jumpstart your professional
advancement today!

Your Future Is In Your Hands...

The CDM, CFPP is more than the letters after your name. It’s a career path that demonstrates your commitment
to excellence in dietary management, and defines you as a highly qualified professional in your field.